🇧🇩 Agriculture in Bangladesh (2 Viewers)

[Saif]

‘Investment in agriculture should be given importance in the budget’

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thedailynewnation.com

'Investment in agriculture should be given importance in the budget'
24 May 2024, 12:00 am

Staff Reporter :

The investment in agriculture should be given importance in the budget so that the technologies developed for food security and the transformation of agriculture can reach the village level," Binayak Sen, director general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), said at a programme on Thursday.

"Food security not only requires rice but also poultry and fisheries products. Budget support should be given to maintain their production.

For this, the agricultural technologies that have been invented should be prioritised so that they can easily reach the village level," he said at the seminar on a research titled "The Political Economy of Agrarian Futures in Bangladesh."

"If this can be achieved, a significant change will come," he hoped.

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[Saif]

Is the family farm disappearing?

tThe depeasantisation thesis associated with Kautsky and popularised as “the Agrarian Question” needs to be subtly understood in Bangladesh.

www.thedailystar.net

The Agrarian Question in Bangladesh
Is the family farm disappearing?

If lumpy machinery like tractors, pump sets and combine harvesters offer prospects of higher productivity and returns to land, then how is a small farmer with scattered, fragmented plots supposed to access those opportunities? FILE PHOTO: MOHAMMAD MONIRUZZAMAN

In 1899, Kautsky predicted that the peasantry in Russia would be squeezed out of existence by larger-scale capital and that such rural people would become proletarianised labour as the country industrialised. Lenin and Trotsky adopted this stance and in effect sought to hasten the process, supported by Preobrazhensky, but were thwarted by the post-revolutionary food crisis, thus adopting the New Economic Policy instead, which encouraged markets and kulaks producing higher net marketable surplus under quasi-capitalist conditions. The rise of the kulaks as a political force then encouraged Stalin to lead a process of collectivisation, communes and state-enforced targets for surplus grain to the cities. However, resistance to this direction came from Chayanov, who mobilised statistics to demonstrate a distinctive peasant mode of production—drudgery-averse production for immediate family consumption, calibrated to the family's life cycle and changing dependency ratio (workers over consumers within the family) so that additional land from the village authorities could be added to the family farm, with its worker members just working harder to feed its larger numbers. Chayanov ended up in jail for arguing that the farmer (i.e. peasant) should not be separated from this family consumption (subsistence) motive by being forced into collectivisation. Sholokhov's novels, such as Virgin Soil Upturned and Harvest on the Don, vividly tell this story of peasant alienation.

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[Saif]

Prioritising agriculture for national benefit

In one of the most densely populated nations on earth, food security naturally is of utmost importance for Bangladeshi policymakers. For many years, national policymaking has been geared towards industrialisation out of the feeling that it would better serve employment generation and help attract a

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Prioritising agriculture for national benefit
FE
Published :
May 25, 2024 23:02
Updated :
May 25, 2024 23:02

In one of the most densely populated nations on earth, food security naturally is of utmost importance for Bangladeshi policymakers. For many years, national policymaking has been geared towards industrialisation out of the feeling that it would better serve employment generation and help attract a greater volume of foreign direct investment (FDI). There is no denying that such policies have paid off and the country has emerged as a global industrial powerhouse in textiles and apparel. This transformation has largely helped the country cut its poverty rate by half in a matter of three and a half decades. However, alongside industrialization, agriculture has taken giant steps in modernisation and crop diversification despite a declining share of the sector in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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[Saif]

Smart agriculture practices can increase productivity by 30%: DCCI

Smart agriculture practices can fuel farmers’ income by 40%, the leading chamber said in a seminar on smart agriculture

www.thedailystar.net

Smart agriculture practices can increase productivity by 30%: DCCI
Smart practices can fuel farmers' income by 40%, the leading chamber said in a seminar on smart agriculture

Adoption of smart agriculture practices could potentially increase agricultural productivity by 20-30 percent in Bangladesh, said Ashraf Ahmed, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI).

Smart agriculture practices also reduce input costs by up to 20 percent and increase farmers' income by 30 to 40 percent, he said today.

The Dhaka chamber president shared the information at a seminar on "Smart agriculture: issues and challenges in value chain development" organised by the DCCI at its office in the capital.

"We see at least 40-45 percent post-harvest loss from the farmers to the consumers," Ahmed said.

To mitigate post-harvest losses, availability of cold chain and smoother transportation systems are necessary, he said.

"Moreover, we should develop a waste management system so that we can recycle the agriculture wastages into other products."

Inefficiencies in the supply chain, market access barriers and limited value addition are few bottlenecks for the development of value chain in Bangladesh's agriculture sector, the leading trade body chief said.

He also emphasised the need for building an updated database to create a smart agriculture environment.

State Minister for Commerce Ahasanul Islam Titu said a need-based locally-tailored farmer-friendly technology is required to implement smart agriculture system in the country.

The state minister said it is equally important to ensure better and logical prices both for the producers and the consumers and for that the presence of a smooth supply chain is a must.

The Logistic Policy-2024 is going to be a game changer for the businessmen, Titu said.

ICT-backed research and innovation will be needed to diversify Bangladesh's export basket, he said.​

 

[Saif]

Agriculture enters a new evolutionary stage with AI

The Indian subcontinent has a rich heritage of more than a millennium as an agrarian society, where nature and daily human lives are closely linked. Today, people face problems like climate change and an imbalanced nature. Technological development offers a beacon of hope as the challenges of cli

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Agriculture enters a new evolutionary stage with AI
IFTEKHARUL ISLAM
Published :
May 30, 2024 16:03
Updated :
May 30, 2024 16:03

Representational image

The Indian subcontinent has a rich heritage of more than a millennium as an agrarian society, where nature and daily human lives are closely linked. Today, people face problems like climate change and an imbalanced nature.

Technological development offers a beacon of hope as the challenges of climate change and an imbalanced nature loom. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing how people farm and care for the environment, ushering in a new era of sustainable farming practices. This transformative potential of AI in agriculture is a cause for optimism, promising to address the pressing issues we face today.

AI has recently revolutionized industries, from digital content creation to media editing, increasing creativity and efficiency. Now, its revolutionary impact extends to agriculture, reviving the fight for environmental conservation and agricultural growth.

Markets and Markets predicts that the AI technology sector in agriculture will grow to be worth $11 billion by 2025. This surge is driven by AI's potential to transform farming techniques.

According to the World Economic Forum, AI can reduce irrigation water usage by half and pesticide use by 60%, providing a lifeline to farmers facing resource constraints and pollution.

In India, groundbreaking projects by Google's Partner Innovation and AnthroKrishi teams prove AI's transforming potential in agriculture. Using Google's AI capabilities, these teams have launched initiatives to provide farmers with relevant insights gathered from agricultural data.

At the heart of their efforts is a foundational model called 'landscape understanding,' which uses machine learning algorithms to calculate land boundaries and assess soil conditions.

Equipped with this information, AI systems create customized farming plans, improving irrigation tactics and reducing resource waste.

AI-powered solutions are not just a buzzword but a practical reality in agriculture.

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[Saif]

Insects for agricultural development: A blessing or a curse?

In this current age, the agricultural sector is experiencing a revolution with technology, bioengineering, and even artificial intelligence. Implementing genetic engineering in agriculture has always raised profound questions about the alliance between humanity and the insect kingdom. Like Ant-Ma

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Insects for agricultural development: A blessing or a curse?
IFTEKHARUL ISLAM
Published :
May 30, 2024 16:22
Updated :
May 30, 2024 16:22

Representational image

In this current age, the agricultural sector is experiencing a revolution with technology, bioengineering, and even artificial intelligence. Implementing genetic engineering in agriculture has always raised profound questions about the alliance between humanity and the insect kingdom.

Like Ant-Man from Marvel comics, who commands his legion of tiny insects against his opponents, can genetic engineering harness such power over insects to become allies in agricultural development, or will it have a terrible effect in the future?

DARPA, the enigmatic research wing of the United States military, is famous for its daring pursuit of cutting-edge technology. DARPA made an ambitious choice by allocating an astounding $27 million to the Insect Allies project, which aims to kickstart a new era of genetic engineering at the crossroads of insects and agriculture.

This unique attempt seeks to use insects' natural abilities to change vital crops such as maize and tomatoes genetically, paving the path for robust agricultural systems in the face of rising environmental challenges.

At the heart of the research is a new technique for genetic engineering, genetically engineered viral vectors that use insects to transfer specific genes into crops. Unlike traditional testing methods, this unique approach can spread genetic modifications across vast farmlands.

Imagine a world where crops are fortified against the effects of climate change, with insects acting as unintentional agents of agricultural transformation.

Amidst these technological marvels, there are valid concerns and fears. The dual nature of powerful technologies, capable of serving good and evil purposes, comes into play.

While DARPA asserts that the Insect Allies project is solely focused on bolstering national security through agricultural resilience, many critics are alarmed about the potential for unforeseen consequences. Could this seemingly innocuous project morph into a covert bioweapon, posing a threat to global ecosystems and food security?

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